New York surfing is a battle in the line up to catch gnarly winter A-frames on Long Island, which sometimes come up with the goods to beat anywhere on the East Coast.
An introduction to New York surfing
New York isn’t all skyscrapers and yelling Wall Street bankers. It’s also one of the few states on the Eastern Seaboard with a coastline that offers south-west strands with a perfect orientation to suck up dominant Atlantic SE-ers throughout the fall and winter. Throw in a HUGE surf community and a long surf history that dates all the way back to the 1910s (when The Duke himself came here on a wave pilgrimage), and then it’s easy to see how it’s considered one of the jewels on this side of the Continental Divide.
A glance at the geography of NY might not be that encouraging. Most of the Empire State is inland, where the Adirondack and Catskill peaks roll from the Hudson Valley and beyond. But there’s an ace up the sleeve: Long Island. Running 120 miles from base of Brooklyn all the way to the regal Hamptons, that salt-washed stretch of land has long been the beachy escape for New Yorkers.
It holds some serious pearls for surfers. Montuak has points in the style of New England that have mega consistency, but they’re challenging and fast. The southern beaches are a real mixed bag. Take Rockaway, which needs punchy E swells to get kicking and has localism worthy of the Mafia families. Joined with beginner-friendly swell sets at Lido Beach and Long Beach, you’re looking at a surf territory with plenty for all sorts of levels. Downsides include crowds, localism, and the fact that it’s the cold-water months that bring the best riding.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in the USA and surfing on the East Coast
New York surfing at a glance
The good:
The bad:
What’s in this guide to New York surfing?
A guide to New York surf spots
It’s mainly about Long Island, but there are also beaches close to the beating heart of the Big Apple. Here, we’ll scour the lot, starting with the ones on the doorstep of the Manhattan scrapers…
Breezy Point
Without the same sandbars that form across Long Island, Breezy Point gets a full hit of any oncoming W and S swells. The result is a punchy, sucky wave that’s really only there for the foamers on their bodyboards. Death wish is needed when it’s working properly, because these will be real washing-machine waves of 10-foot plus. Leave it to the pros people and don’t bother with the shorty cos’ it will break.
Rockaway (92nd Street Beach)
Rockaway, also known as 92nd Street Beach, is one of the most famous surf spots in all of New York. Part of that is down to the proximity to NYC – it’s just 30 minutes on the train from here to the heart of Manhattan. Of course, that brings the crowds, and they’ve ruined decent conditions for us here on more than one occasion. The break itself needs some good power in the E swell channel to get running. When that happens (usually from Fall onwards), the jetty wall at 92nd cooks some fast lefts that roll inwards into the bay. With a strong offshore, it’s a quality wave, but it’s marked territory and there’s a loyal crowd of locals on the prowl.
Long Beach
Despite a handful of truly irritating rips, Long Beach is one of the more pleasant places to surf in NYC. It occupies a part of Long Island that bends slightly inwards to face more head-on south than elsewhere. That can tame strong winter pulses into smaller sets that will often be hitting chest or head high when it’s a froth-out down in Montauk. Other days that opens up Long Beach for the beginner crowd, and there are plenty of surf schools. We’d put it down as a prime intermediate spot. Ankle burners are fun and the sandbanks will shift to give changing take-off points that make for a decent challenge.
Lido Beach
The crowds so no sign of abating as you move a tad further along Long Island to Lido Beach. It’s as popular in the summer with sunbathers, but also draws a more regular crowd of surfers thanks to a better swell angle. Easterly swells and northerly winds combine to offer great conditions. They’ll give wedgy beach peaks that roll both left and right. The problem is how crowded the lineup is, but, being a spot for groms and up, the vibes here are nowhere near as grim as down in Rockaway.
Tobay Beach
The main beach in the lovely town of Oyster Bay, Tobay is a stretch of classic East Coast beachies that get peaky when there’s any touch of S or E in the swell direction. The best thing here is that the crowds do start thinning out, because you’re just enough away from the skyscrapers of Manhattan to make it more of a remote prospect. Problems are a few rips and the tendency of the wave to look good but come in heavy as a close out on those inviting fall high tides.
Jones Beach State Park
Jones Beach is the long stretch that runs into the Gilgo State Park at the end of the Ocean Parkway. It’s about a third of the way down Long Island, so is among the last truly accessible spots if you’re based in NYC. The beach is also noticeably wilder than its compadres. It’s all shifting sandbanks – they’re unshapely messes one day and then glassy tubes the next. It’s a roll of the dice but the locals will have a handle on what’s happening each season. NE and E swell directions are great with as little wind as possible. Surf this one on mid tide but try to skip high when the wave gets heavy.
Robert Moses State Park
Robert Moses State Park is the western end of Fire Island. That makes it the more sheltered of the beache so this long barrier, so also the best for midwinter surfing when the rest of New York can be blown out. Keep watch from the beach before the paddle out because it’s all about moving banks here. An approaching tide has some secret shore breaks that get neat and hollow on stronger days. Low tide is better for consistency, when the A-frame rolls come creeping up on larger periods.
Fire Island
We’d say Fire Island is the first proper New York surfing frontier on the way east from the city. It’s remote and pretty untouched, so expect peaks all to yourself. There’s no real rule about what waves pop up. The problem is shifting sandbanks that move every day, every night. Get yourself a 4X4 to prowl the whole shore (they cost a couple of hundred $ for a pass to the beach). That’ll give you access to the whole 30-mile run of Fire Island. Swell wise, there’s a SW window that works but winter NE wrap in nicely to give stronger A-frame peaks. It’s all a roll of the dice, depending on where the banks lay. There’s usually something pretty sweet though.
Cupsogue Beach Park
A good place to hunt for lonely waves on one of the most remote parts of Long Island, Cupsogue Beach Park has a jetty break that needs some strong joules in the E swell direction. Better are the peaky beach breaks that are determined by the up and down sandbanks. They offer some fun shortboard waves on Fall days and you can be all alone.
Flies
As the exposure to the open Atlantic and the north Atlantic increases at this end of Long Island, the power cranks up, leaving Flies to give some nice A-frame wedges, even in the quieter summer. It’s rarely busy here but the waves aren’t easy. They’re slabby and sucky with rips on either side. You need to know what you’re doing but could be rewarded with NY barrels with clean faces if you chase the offshore NWerly.
East Hampton
East Hampton might be better known for its A-listers than its waves, but there’s some pretty awesome quality down this end of Long Island. Plenty of E and S exposure opens the swell window into something special and the sandbanks don’t need to be half as good to give hollow conditions. The focal point of the Hamptons’ surf scene is on Main Beach. That’s usually got a lineup when it’s on and you’ll have to know how to deal with pointing shorebreaks with pits aplenty. The problem is access. Many areas around Main Beach are hemmed in by private property and the locals here watch their territory like jack russels.
Montauk
Montauk is a whole load different to the long and pounding beach breaks of Long Island. It’s got a rugged, rocky shoreline that faces due E. That gives rise to an abundance of point breaks that roll right up the coast. There’s even space for an XL wave that can happily hold to 20foot, but the locals won’t let you get near. Variety is key, because next to the whoppers is a mellow logger’s wave in the style of SoCal, combined with the mushier prospects of Trailer Park. Yes, it’s hotly protected New York surf territory, but it’s easy to see why.
Where to stay when surfing in New York?
This is New York, everyone. If you think there’s a shortage of hotels then we don’t know what bagel’s scrambled your brain. Here are just three of the downright cracking surf-side stays that we can plump for in the Big Apple…
The Rockaway Hotel
The 4-star Rockaway is a real piece of art. Designed like something out of Bali, it’s got polished concrete lobbies that flow through to an uber-cool pool and terrace space that looks a touch Cuba circa 1962. Rooms are downright luxury, offering spacious marble bathrooms and wood-slat walls. Some even have views over the waves down on Rockway Beach. Our advice, book it if it’s available!
60s Surf Camper with NYC Skyline View
Give your surf trip to NYC a little authenticity by choosing this hip accommodation. The 60s Surf Camper really is what it says on the tin – a retro shack on wheels that’s like something off a Beach Boys album cover.
Bay View Tiki Beach Cottage
A perfect choice for traveling groups of surfers on their way to New York, this Fire Island cottage channels a touch of Hawaii through its Tiki interiors. It’s a short walk from the beach and has enough bedroom capacity for up to eight guests.
When to surf in New York?
The best seasons for surfing in and around New York City are fall and winter. They offer a mix of hurricane swells and distant groundswells, but also happen to be super cold. Here’s a closer look at all the times of year…
Summer (June-August)
Don’t even bother. Seriously, New York’s beaches are a mass of tanning bodies and bobbing swimmers. It seems like the whole of the five boroughs makes their way to the shore around June and July. Who can blame them? Heat is stifling in the downtown. Either way, there’s not much surf around in summer anyhow.
Fall (September-October)
The New York surfing can actually start to improve around the end of August, but it’s just an overture for the joys of the fall proper. Fed by regular hurricane swells that originate in the storm-battered tropics, it can be a good time to catch strong and long-period days. 3/2 is good for the start of the season, but you’ll be pining for 4/3+ and all the extras by the time November swings around. Mark our words.
Winter (December-February)
The winter has the best of the year in New York. Big ESE groundswells are dominant across the whole of Long Island and the borough beaches, helping fire up pretty epic A-frame peaks that are a surf photographer’s dream. They can mix with northerly offshore winds to produce some seriously special days, when the locals will all be out for the pickings. The downside is the cold. It’s real chilly here, so pack the 5/4 and the hood!
Spring (March-May)
Winter storm swells slacken a lot by March time, but there are still good days until about early May. That’s also when the crowds of sun seeking city slickers hits the beaches again in earnest, so it’s time to wrap up the hardwear for a couple of months in the Big Apple.
Surf shops in New York
NYC is a shopping mecca, so you’re not going to be without a surf shop. However, we’ve focussed on the outlets that are close to the surf breaks on the south side of the city.
Rockaway Beach Surf Shop
It might look small from the front, but Rockaway Beach Surf Shop extends quite far back, into a stock room that’s laden with rubber and plenty of boards. Ask for advice on matching a board to your ability and the waves of NYC – they are happy to help.
STATION RBNY Surf Shop
STATION RBNY Surf Shop isn’t the biggest surf shop on the shores of the Big Apple, but it does have one of the best hardwear racks in Rockaway Beach – think nugget 5″ and under all the way to egg-fronted Malibus. They also have some cool surf threads and surf-skate gear.
Where to eat and drink in New York?
Again, this is New York! There are more restaurants here than you can shake your Ron Jon boardshorts at. We’ve made it easy to pick by looking at the ones close to the main surf breaks…
RIPPERS
RIPPERS has made a name for itself as the top place to sample Ne Yorker hotdogs down on the boardwalks of Rockaway Beach. Stop by for a snack and dollop on the mustard, you won’t be disappointed. Sadly, it’s often closed for the bulk of the surf season in the winter. Outdoor seating here looks right over the waves and the sands. Nice.
Cuisine By Claudette
Alright, so it’s nothing fancy, but still Cuisine By Claudette is a taste of homey NYC hospitality just back from Rockaway Beach – think warm cups of joe and filling breakfasts of poke bowls and whatnot.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
